The royal families of Gujarat-which had a larger number of princely states compared to any other state in India-were reinventing themselves by turning into entrepreneurs.

Royalty in India has largely come to signify the royal families of Rajasthan who have done a commendable job of resurrecting themselves by taking up the heritage hotel business using their palaces, havelis and forts. In the process they have also earned a name for their hard work and business acumen. But are they the only achievers amongst their ilk?

It was this question that propelled me to do a story on how the royal families of Gujarat-which had a larger number of princely states compared to any other state in India-were reinventing themselves by turning into entrepreneurs, whether it was the royal families of Rajkot, Jasdan or Muli in Saurashtra-Kathiawad or the royal families of Vadodra, Danta or Poshina in mainline Gujarat of that of Dondaicha on Mahrashtra-Gujarat border.

Doing the story was an interesting experience. In fact, it was an exciting as well as a learning experience. India's Independence was both a matter of happiness and shock for these royals. India attaining freedom from the British Raj was certainly a matter of happiness for them while merging the kingdoms their ancestors had ruled for centuries with the new Indian Republic was a matter of sadness. Some of these royals couldn't adjust to the change and drifted apart in many negatives ways, from liquor addiction to unwanted spending, thus often falling into a trap with deep financial implications.

But while doing the story I felt that Gujarat's royals had remolded themselves by comprehending the true value of money through hard work and dynamism. The frenetic pace at which Ranjitsinh Parmar of Muli conducts his travel business from Mumbai was a pleasant surprise and so was the strenuous effort that Satyajit Khachar of Jasdan is putting in to revive the Gir Cow and the Kathiawadi Horse by making their breeding financially viable through a commercial model. The golf course that Vadodra's Samarjit Gaekwad has developed around the majestic Laxmi Vilas Palace in Vadodra can make the best of golf course developers envious while the forays of Mandhatasinh Jadeja of Rajkot into real estate, heritage properties besides such diverse areas as windmill power generation and bio-fuel with big money investment production show the extent to which the royalties are trying to reinvent themselves.

The quiet locations of Danta and Poshina in the Aravalli hill ranges in north Gujarat has not dampened the entrepreneurial spirit of the royal families of the two former princely states. While the Danta family--comprising the former ruler Mahipendra Singh, his wife Chandra Kumari and their, Ranriddha Singh--has been successfully dabbling into the heritage hotel business, dairying, horse breeding and real estate, Poshina's Harendrapal Singh and his wife Kanwarani Kailash Kumari are a shining example of how to running the heritage hotel business that can teach their successful Rajasthan counterparts a lesson or two. Vikrant Rawal Sisodia of Dondaicha, scion of a royal family which has gone into big industrial production including edible oil units, windmill energy and also real estate, exhibited sheer business enterprise, an example of complete reinvention.

While interacting with them to put the story together, I found that all these royals were very frank and business-like in their attitude, a far cry perhaps from some of their immediate ancestors. Instead of the expected stiffness of a royal, they exhibited warmth. And in sharp contrast to the page-3-like glitz and glamour of some of the Indian royals, these Gujarat royals were down-to-earth and not flashy. History unarguably shapes future and the former rulers still have an impact on the Indian subcontinent. It was refreshing to find this important cake closely associated with Indian history not basking in the reflected glory of the bygone era alone, reshaping itself and adjusting to the present.